County, Town of Union to Demolish Former Christ the King School

Town of Union, NY – Broome County Executive Debbie Preston, Town of Union Supervisor Rose Sotak, members of the Town of Union Council and Land Bank Executive Director Margaret Scarinzi to announce plans to demolish the former Christ the King School and convent.

The buildings have been vacant since the floods in 2006 and pose a safety threat to those in that community.

“This announcement has been a long time coming for the people who live in this neighborhood,” says Broome County Executive Debbie Preston. “We will be demolishing an eyesore and a building that has structural issues, which will be a major benefit for everyone.”

“I want to thank County Executive Preston and the Legislature for partnering with us to tear this eyesore down,” says Town of Union Supervisor Rose Sotak. “The vision is to turn this into a community garden/recreation area, something everyone in this neighborhood can be proud of.”

"We're proud to partner with the Town of Union and the Broome County Land Bank to demolish these dilapidated and dangerous properties and create a space where the community can come together," says Broome County Legislator Jason Shaw. "This is a great example of how working together can clean up blight and help the residents of our neighborhoods."

The cost of the demolition is about $290,000 and will be paid for by the Broome County Land Bank, Broome County and Town of Union.

The County, which currently owns the property, will turn the land over to the Town of Union once demolition is complete.

“This project fits perfectly into the mission of the Land Bank, which is to eliminate blight and stabilize communities,” says Land Bank Executive Director Margaret Scarinzi. “We have done projects with the City of Binghamton, Village of Windsor and now the Town of Union and we encourage all of our municipalities to join us in cleaning up our communities.”